Keeping my family healthy, keeping my family happy

St. Patricks Day Muffins

I am a stay at home mom which means we go to a lot of play dates for various holidays. I usually bring something like carrots and hummus so my kids can eat a semi balanced snack/early lunch even if there is nothing else there for them. We pass on the pink food dye iced cupcakes and sugar laden yogurts. Today we are going to a St Patricks Day playdate so I am predicting a lot of green food dye snacks, and we stay away from that. Since someone else already said they were bringing veggies and fruit I decided I’d make a little treat for my girls that I feel good about them eating.

These muffins taste just like banana bread but are bright green thanks to a healthy dose of spinach. I won’t tell any of the other kids its spinach, we can just let them think its food dye. My kids actually love all vegetables (Alyssa doesn’t love raw celery but that’s really the extent of their pickiness) but if I am willing to make them baked goods, they don’t care what is in them, spinach included. (We use beets to make things pink too). But if you need to trick your kids into eating veggies, these would be great!.

These came out nice and green, especially on the inside. If you want them even more green then use organic all purpose flour so the whole wheat doesn’t dull the green color.

St. Patricks Day Green Muffins

makes 3 dozen mini muffins

2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat or all purpose would work as well)

2 Tbs ground flax seed

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

one 5 oz bag fresh spinach

3/4 cup milk of choice (organic, raw, coconut from a can, or kefir)

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted or applesauce

2 overripe bananas

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

Place spinach, milk, honey, banana, vanilla, and oil/butter into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until the spinach is pureed. If using coconut oil, make sure you let your ingredients sit out for a little bit to get close to room temperature before blending together because the cold milk will make the oil become a solid and not blend well. Beat egg separately and add to wet.